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PCC Mark Rocha Lied, Pushed Privatization, Workplace Bullying, Sexism and Union Busting

by repost
PCC Mark Rocha Lied, Pushed Privatization, Workplace Bullying, Sexism and Union Busting-Now the San Francisco Community College Board Want To Hire Him At $330,000 a year. Apparently they want to further privatization, union busting, sexism and workplace bullying at the San Francisco college system by appointing Mark Rocha to run the SFCC.
"President Rocha impeded student success, violated student and faculty trust, and, in general, brought about destructive rather than constructive change at the college while consistently ignoring the concerns of students, staff and faculty members at Pasadena City College,”
rocha_mark_no_confidence_rally.jpeg
PCC Mark Rocha Lied, Pushed Privatization, Workplace Bullying, Sexism and Union Busting-Now SFCC Board Want To Hire Him At $330,000 a year.

PCC Academic Senate Meeting Public Comment, Vote of No Confidence on Mark Rocha, and IEC-Rocha Lied To Faculty About Calendar Change
"This Is a Labor Dispute Not A Share Governance Issue” Rocha Pushing Increase In Class Room Size

PCC Academic Senate Meeting Public Comment, Vote of No Confidence on Mark Rocha, and IEC Academic Senate Meeting (April 1, 2013) - Public Comment, Vote of No Confidence, and IEC, Lies To PCC Faculty

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWBKQbM76jA

President Rocha says two senior school officials 'on leave' to be replaced

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsfJ92stnUE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsfJ92stnUE

Jun 13, 2012 - PCC President Mark Rocha asserts that he will be moving forward in ... President Rocha says two senior school officials 'on leave' to be replaced ... Board of Trustees walk out during student protest - Duration: 1:05. ... Robert Westerbeck Donation to Pasadena City College Foundation - Duration: 9:29.
Pasadena City College Lancer Answers - General Education
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIHM_nviRKU

Published on Apr 24, 2014

Pasadena City College Students interviewed PCC Students about their thoughts on General Education (GE).

PCC Faculty overwhelmingly has no confidence in Mark Rocha administration but CCSF Board Want The Union Buster and Privatizer
http://www.pcccourier.com/news/adhocnoconfidence.html
Posted on March 14, 2013 by Anthony Richetts in News with 10 Comments

More than 90 percent of faculty has no confidence in the administration of PCC President Mark Rocha, according to a vote presented by an Ad Hoc Faculty Committee to the Board of Trustees on March 13.

The committee said a crisis of leadership had engulfed the college.

Five members of the ad hoc committee, instructors Patricia Rose, Melissa Michelson, Karen Carlisi, Jill O’Hora and Mary-Erin Crook presented the full results of the committee’s February faculty-wide poll during the public comment section of the meeting.

According to their statement, 213 full-time, active faculty participated in the vote. Of the 204 valid ballots received, 188 have no confidence in the administration, with only 16 supporting the administration.

Three of the committee members presenting the results to the Board read an official statement from the committee.

“This vote underscores the fact that 92 percent of full-time voting faculty agree, amongst other things, that President Rocha impeded student success, violated student and faculty trust, and, in general, brought about destructive rather than constructive change at the college while consistently ignoring the concerns of students, staff and faculty members at Pasadena City College,” said Rose.

Carlisi said the vote underscored major problems on campus.

“Today at PCC we have a superintendent-president and an administration whose style of leadership ignores the very principles of reasoned judgment, respectful collaboration, and shared values that further a healthy, productive community college,” said Carlisi. “The vote of no confidence exposes the deep fissures in the foundation of PCC, which have been caused by President Rocha and his administration.”

Addressing the Board, Hora said it could take the college years to recover from the damage done.

“Do you, the Board of Trustees, really want this kind of destructive legacy on your hands?” Hora asked. “ Can you really afford to ignore the voices of both students and 92 percent of the faculty voting a position of no confidence in President Rocha?

We expect that you will listen to and act upon this crisis of leadership so that PCC can start moving forward.”

The audience reacted to the comments with roaring applause, while members of the Board and President Rocha sat with a look of discontent as they listened to over an hour of public comments attacking the college president and its administration.

The members of the committee said in an interview after the presentation that the purpose of their poll was to inform the public and to help persuade the board to take action.

“This was our main goal. The point was to make [the results] public and get it out to the community,” said Hora. “This will hopefully put pressure on the board and get them to act, which they haven’t been doing.”

Michelson was satisfied with the outcome of the poll.

“There were so many faculty involved, not just us, and they came together and supported each other. Some of us may dissolve [from the committee], some of us may come back, and there might be new faculty to support a vote of no confidence against the board if necessary,” said Michelson. “But for now the task we took on is now finished.”

SFCC Board Proposes Giving Union Buster and Privatizer Mark Rocha $330,000 In First Year

http://www.ccsf.edu/BOT/2017/June_22/144_Attachment_B.pdf

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT Superintendent/President (Chancellor) San Francisco• Community College District

THIS AGREEMENT is made this 22nd day of June 2017 by and between the Board of Trustees of the San Francisco Community College District (hereinafter "District") and Mark Rocha Superintendent/President, herein referred to as "Chancellor."

Term. District hereby employs Chancellor for a period beginning July 1, 2017, and terminating on June 30, 2020, subject to the terms and conditions set forth below.

Salary. The Chancellor's initial annual salary shall be $310,500 per year payable in twelve (12) equal monthly payments. The District reserves the right to change the Chancellor's salary for any year or any portion of a year of this contract with the mutual written consent of the Chancellor and the District. A change in salary shall not constitute the creation of a new contract nor extend the termination date of this Agreement. If the Board in June, 2018 determines based on an evaluation, as described in Article 4, that the Chancellor has performed satisfactorily and substantially achieved priorities mutually agreed by the Chancellor and the Board of Trustees, Chancellor shall receive an additional twenty thousand dollar ($20,000) ongoing salary increase for the 2017-18 year. If the Board in June, 2018 determines, based on an evaluation as described in Article 4, that the Chancellor has performed satisfactorily and substantially achieved priorities mutually agreed by the Chancellor and the Board of Trustees, the Chancellor will receive a one percent (1%) salary increase effective July 1, 2018. If the Board in June, 2019, determines based on an evaluation as described in Article 4, that the Chancellor has performed satisfactorily and substantially achieved priorities mutually agreed by the Chancellor and the Board of Trustees, the Chancellor will receive a two percent (2%) salary increase effective July 1, 2019.

Chancellor’s Duties.

General Duties. The Chancellor is employed as District Superintendent and shall perform the duties of District Superintendent as prescribed by the laws of the State of California and the District's job description for the Superintendent, if any. The Chancellor shall have primary responsibility for execution of District policy and responsibility for the duties prescribed by law. The Chancellor shall be the District's chief executive officer.
Personnel Matters. The Chancellor shall have primary responsibility in making recommendations to the District regarding all personnel matters, including selection, assignment and transfer and dismissal of employees.

Chancellor’s Employment Agreement June 15, 2017

Page 1 of 5

c. Administrative Functions. The Chancellor, as chief executive officer, shall (1) review all policies adopted by the District and make appropriate recommendations to the District; (2) periodically evaluate or cause to be evaluated all District employees; (3) advise the District of sources of funds that might be available to implement present or contemplated District programs; ( 4) assume responsibility for those duties specified in the Education Code; ( 5) endeavor to maintain and improve his professional competence by all available means, including subscription to and reading of appropriate periodicals and membership in appropriate professional associations; (6) establish and maintain positive community, staff and District relations, (7) serve as liaison to the District with respect to all matters of employer-employee relations and make recommendations to the District concerning those matters; (8) recommend to the District goals and objectives; (9) unless unavoidably detained or excused by the District, attend all regular, special and closed session meetings of the District.
Evaluation. The District may evaluate and discuss the performance of the Chancellor at any time during the term of this Agreement. The process for this evaluation will be mutually developed by the District and the Chancellor. In the event the parties are unable to reach agreement, the District will adopt the process. When the District evaluates the Chancellor in writing, the written evaluation shall be placed in the Chancellor's personnel file. The Chancellor shall then have ten (10) days from receipt of the evaluation to respond in writing to the evaluation. The Chancellor's written comments shall be filed with the evaluation in a sealed envelope in the Chancellor's personnel file and marked "Confidential: To be "Opened by Authorized Personnel Only." The District shall, if requested by the Chancellor, meet and discuss the contents of the evaluation with the Chancellor within a reasonable time after the Chancellor has heard or received the evaluation. Evaluations of the Chancellor shall only be discussed in closed session. The first evaluation shall be completed no later than June 30, 2018. For the 2018-19 school year and any subsequent school years, an annual evaluation will be completed no later than June 30 of each year.

Termination of Contract.

Mutual Consent. This Agreement may be terminated at any time by mutual consent of the
District and the Chancellor upon thirty (30) days prior written notice.
Nonrenewal of Agreement by the District. The District may not renew this Agreement for any reason. Notice shall be given at least six months in advance of the expiration of the contract. If the District fails to provide six months notice, the Chancellor’s contract shall be extended by one year with the terms unchanged.

Termination of Chancellor for Cause: The Chancellor's status as Chancellor and all of the Chancellor's rights under this Agreement may be terminated by the District at any time for, but not limited to, breach of contract; any ground enumerated in the Education Code; or the Chancellor's failure to perform him responsibilities as set forth in the Agreement, as defined by law, or as specified in the Chancellor's job description, if any. The District
Chancellor’s Employment Agreement June 15, 2017

Page 2 of 5

shall not terminate this Agreement pursuant to this paragraph (c) until a written statement of the grounds of termination has first been served upon the Chancellor. The Chancellor shall then be entitled to a conference witl1 the District at which time the Chancellor shall be given a reasonable opportunity to address the District's concerns. The Chancellor shall have the right to have a representative of him choice at the conference with the District. The conference with the District shall be the Chancellor's exclusive right to any hearing otherwise required by law.

Sick Leave. The Chancellor shall be allocated twelve (12) days of sick leave annually.

Vacation. The Chancellor shall be required to render twelve (12) months of full and regular serve to the District during each annual period covered by this Agreement, except that he shall be entitled to twenty-two (22) working days of annual vacation with pay, exclusive of holidays as defined in Sections 79020 and 79021 of the Education Code and any other designated school holidays. The Chancellor may use vacation in half-day increments. After the Chancellor has accumulated forty-four (44) unused vacation days, he shall not earn any additional vacation until he has reduced the number of accrued but unused vacation days below the forty-four (44) day cap. The Chancellor shall accumulate 1.83 days per month until the forty-four (44) day limit has been accrued. The Chancellor may use vacation days prior to accumulating them if approved by the District. Upon termination or expiration of this Agreement, the Chancellor shall be entitled to compensation for unused and accumulated vacation days, at him then current salary rate. The District reserves the right to direct the Chancellor to use accumulated vacation so that no more than twenty (20) days remain upon termination of this Agreement.

Holidays. The Chancellor shall receive the same paid holidays as other administrators.

Professional Meetings. The Chancellor is expected to attend appropriate professional meetings (not to exceed twenty (20) days annually) at local, state and national levels and to periodically report to the District his appraisal of such meetings. Prior approval of the District shall be obtained when the Chancellor attends a function outside the State.

10. Personal Professional Development Days. The Chancellor shall be entitled to receive six (6) paid days for personal professional development.
11. Expense Reimbursement. The District shall reimburse the Chancellor for actual and necessary expenses, including travel outside the District, incurred by the Chancellor within the scope of his employment so long as such expenses are permitted by District policy or incurred with prior approval of the District. For reimbursement, the Chancellor shall submit an expense claim to the District in writing for the Chancellor's reimbursable expenses for the prior month. The Chancellor's expense claim shall be supported by appropriate written documentation verifying the contents of the report prior to the District's authorization of reimbursement.

Chancellor’s Employment Agreement June 15, 2017

Page 3 of 5

Community Relations Expense. In recognition of the unique duties and responsibilities of the Chancellor relating to community relations, District shall pay Chancellor the sum of one thousand dollars ($1,000) monthly. The District shall report these funds for tax purposes as income to the Chancellor and therefore the funds may be used by him for any lawful purpose in furtherance of the community relations of the District. It is specifically recognized that from time to time this may include entertainment and meal expenses for the Chancellor. It is further understood that the funds may be used for admission fees, food, alcoholic beverages, and other refreshments, and expenses appropriate to the circumstances. No claim for reimbursement under Paragraph 9 (Expense Reimbursement) shall be made for community relations expenses incurred under this paragraph.

Transportation Allowance. The Chancellor is required to use his own vehicle to carry out his responsibilities. The Chancellor is entitled to a transportation allowance of five hundred dollars ($500) per month for automobile expenses (such as gasoline, insurance, regular maintenance, etc.) and one hundred dollars ($100) per month for bus passes. For travel outside of the District, Chancellor will be reimbursed according to District policy and procedures in effect at the time of the travel.

Benefits. Chancellor shall be eligible for all District-provided health, dental, vision and life insurance benefits provided to the other administrators of the District.

Relocation Stipend. The District shall pay the Chancellor a one-time relocation stipend not to exceed $5000.

Transition Allowance. The District shall pay Chancellor a one-time transition allowance not to exceed $1500.

General Provisions

Governing Law and Venue. This Agreement, and the rights and obligations of the parties, shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California. The parties also agree that, in the event of litigation, venue shall be the proper state or federal court located in San Francisco County, California.

Entire Agreement. This Agreement contains the entire agreement and understanding between the parties. There are no oral understandings, terms, or conditions, and neither party has relied upon any representation, express or implied, not contained in this Agreement.

No Assignment: The Chancellor may not assign or transfer any rights granted or obligations assumed under this Agreement.

Chancellor’s Employment Agreement June 15, 2017

Page 4 of 5

Seniority. In accordance with and subject to the terms of Education Code section 87458, the Chancellor may have the right to become a first year probationary faculty member in the event his administrative assignment expires or is terminated.

Modification. This Agreement cannot be changed or supplemented orally. It may be modified or superseded only by a written instrument executed by both of the parties.

Severability. If any provision of this Agreement is held to be invalid or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining provisions of the Agreement shall continue in full force and effect.

__________________________ Thea Selby
President, Board of Trustees
__________________________ Date
______________________ Mark Rocha, Chancellor
______________________ Date
Chancellor’s Employment Agreement June 15, 2017

Page 5 of 5

From 2001-2006, Rocha was Vice Pres and chief academic officer of the for-profit International Education Corporation The current president of this school is described on Wikipedia

"Fardad served as chief academic officer for Corinthian Colleges between mid-2004 to late 2007. During his time there was one of the largest career colleges in the industry. During that period, Corinthian Colleges has 145 campuses and around 110,000 students. It was listed 79th on CNN's fastest growing companies in 2009." see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fardad_Fateri

CCSF Trustees Hire President With Anti-Labor Anti-Student Record

Bankrupt CCSF Board picks former Pasadena City College president as next chancellor

"President Rocha impeded student success, violated student and faculty trust, and, in general, brought about destructive rather than constructive change at the college while consistently ignoring the concerns of students, staff and faculty members at Pasadena City College,said Rose."
http://www.sfexaminer.com/ccsf-picks-former-pasadena-city-…/

Mark Rocha is expected to be named City College of San Francisco’s next chancellor. (Left: Ekevara Kitpowsong/Special to S.F. Examiner; Right: Courtesy photo)

By Michael Barba on June 14, 2017 12:06 pm

City College of San Francisco has chosen the former president of Pasadena City College and a New York bureaucrat as the top candidate for chancellor, the San Francisco Examiner has learned.

Mark Rocha is expected to inherit the top leadership role July 1 at a relatively stable time for City College, which retained its accreditation for another seven years in January and will start receiving city funding for free tuition beginning next semester.

“We are impressed with Dr. Rocha’s qualifications and experience in higher education,” Board of Trustees President Thea Selby said in a statement. “Throughout the open forums and search process, Dr. Rocha consistently received the highest rankings from our constituency groups, particularly our students.”The decision is one of several major leadership changes coming to the college.

On Wednesday, CCSF spokesperson Jeff Hamilton confirmed that Vice Chancellor Ron Gerhard and Police Chief Andre Barnes plan to retire next month when Interim Chancellor Susan Lamb leaves.

The Board of Trustees chose Rocha despite unflattering reports on his tenure at Pasadena City College that culminated in his retirement amid controversy nearly three years ago, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Faculty and students there reportedly took votes of no confidence in Rocha for his management style and decision to cancel a winter session without consulting them, raising concern for the faculty union at City College.

“AFT 2121 is concerned about the history of the no confidence votes,” faculty union President Tim Killikelly said in a text message. “There were terrible decisions on Mark Rocha’s part that led to those votes. If he is selected, hearing and respecting student and faculty voices must be a top priority.”
“We received information from all different constituents who were involved in that particular case, and they all spoke of him highly,” Selby said. “It was a difficult decision that he had to make.”

Rocha reportedly threatened to sue Pasadena City College after a trustee made disparaging remarks about him in news articles, leading to his decision to leave the college.

“We investigated it thoroughly,” Selby said. “We looked into that very carefully and found that that is not true.”

Rocha is expected to become the sixth interim or permanent chancellor to lead City College since 2012, when its accreditation was first in jeopardy.
“One thing we need is some stability and one of the first things he said in his interview with us is he will be here for the long-haul,” Selby said. “He thinks it takes about 10 years to make [and implement] a strategy.”

The Board of Trustees is scheduled to vote on his contract June 22, finalizing the decision ahead of Lamb’s departure.

Rocha was most recently a senior program manager with the New York Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery, where he led a program to repair thousands of homes damaged during Hurricane Sandy.

Rocha also held positions as president of West Los Angeles College and as tenured faculty and associate dean at California State University Northridge. He has a Ph.D. in English from University of Southern California.

Rocha declined to comment through a spokesperson until his contract is approved.

Timeline of events and controversy at Pasadena City College:

June 2010: Rocha is hired as president at Pasadena City College.
April 2013: Faculty reportedly take a vote of no confidence in Rocha over issues with community input.
May 2014: Controversy erupts over a decision to disinvite screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, a gay activist, as commencement speaker after a sex video emerged. Rocha is publically blamed.
May 2014: Rocha hires an attorney for potential legal action against Pasadena City College for allegedly leaking information to the media and defamation related to the Black controversy.
July 2014: In mediation with Pasadena school officials, Rocha decides to leave the college.
August 2014: After meeting with school officials twice in closed session to negotiate a severance package, a nonprofit called Californians Aware raises potential Brown Act violations.
April 2015: A Los Angeles Superior Court judge voids Rocha’s $400,000 severance package, finding that Pasadena City College violated open meeting laws when it negotiated the agreement in closed session without disclosing enough information to the public.
July 2015: Rocha reportedly keeps his severance package through a second agreement.
Source: Los Angeles Superior Court filings, news reports
Pasadena City College president is leaving after rocky tenure
http://www.latimes.com/…/la-me-pcc-president-20140808-story…

The controversial president of Pasadena City College will retire at the end of the month, officials announced Thursday.

Mark W. Rocha will step down from his nearly $250,000-a-year job at the end of August, according to a statement from the college. The trustees soon will hire an interim president, according to the statement from spokeswoman Valerie Wardlaw.

"It's time for me to spend more time with my family and return to my passion for teaching and writing," Rocha said in a statement.
He did not return a call seeking comment.

Rocha has been heavily criticized by some staff, who say he has ignored the school's policy of consulting faculty on major decisions. Faculty leaders took two votes expressing no confidence in Rocha and were considering a third.

"There's always turmoil," said Board of Trustees President Anthony Fellow in a brief interview earlier this year.

In a statement, Fellow said the board accepted Rocha's decision "with profound gratitude for his leadership over the past four years."

Rocha and the trustees have also been criticized for canceling winter session two years ago. Students said that they would have a harder time earning credits to graduate or transfer without the six-week courses.

During Rocha's tenure, full-time enrollment at the two-year college, long considered one of the state's finest, dropped by nearly 13%, according to state statistics. Enrollment in California community colleges fell by nearly 10% during the same period.

Pasadena City College leadership also came under fire for inviting, and then uninviting, Oscar-winning alumnus Dustin Lance Black as commencement speaker. The invitation was rescinded over concerns about an illegally obtained sex video featuring the screenwriter, but trustees backed off and Black spoke at graduation.

In an anonymous online survey conducted by some faculty, the majority of respondents said Rocha had done a poor job leading the school.
"Fascist approach to leadership," one wrote. "Rocha is destroying PCC," said another.

jason.song [at] latimes.com
Twitter: @latjasonsong

Faculty overwhelmingly has no confidence in administration
http://www.pcccourier.com/news/adhocnoconfidence.html

Posted on March 14, 2013 by Anthony Richetts in News with 10 Comments

More than 90 percent of faculty has no confidence in the administration of PCC President Mark Rocha, according to a vote presented by an Ad Hoc Faculty Committee to the Board of Trustees on March 13.

The committee said a crisis of leadership had engulfed the college.

Five members of the ad hoc committee, instructors Patricia Rose, Melissa Michelson, Karen Carlisi, Jill O’Hora and Mary-Erin Crook presented the full results of the committee’s February faculty-wide poll during the public comment section of the meeting.

According to their statement, 213 full-time, active faculty participated in the vote. Of the 204 valid ballots received, 188 have no confidence in the administration, with only 16 supporting the administration.

Three of the committee members presenting the results to the Board read an official statement from the committee.

“This vote underscores the fact that 92 percent of full-time voting faculty agree, amongst other things, that President Rocha impeded student success, violated student and faculty trust, and, in general, brought about destructive rather than constructive change at the college while consistently ignoring the concerns of students, staff and faculty members at Pasadena City College,� said Rose.

Carlisi said the vote underscored major problems on campus.

“Today at PCC we have a superintendent-president and an administration whose style of leadership ignores the very principles of reasoned judgment, respectful collaboration, and shared values that further a healthy, productive community college,� said Carlisi. “The vote of no confidence exposes the deep fissures in the foundation of PCC, which have been caused by President Rocha and his administration.

Addressing the Board, O’Hora said it could take the college years to recover from the damage done.

“Do you, the Board of Trustees, really want this kind of destructive legacy on your hands?Hora asked. Can you really afford to ignore the voices of both students and 92 percent of the faculty voting a position of no confidence in President Rocha?

We expect that you will listen to and act upon this crisis of leadership so that PCC can start moving forward.

The audience reacted to the comments with roaring applause, while members of the Board and President Rocha sat with a look of discontent as they listened to over an hour of public comments attacking the college president and its administration.

The members of the committee said in an interview after the presentation that the purpose of their poll was to inform the public and to help persuade the board to take action.

“This was our main goal. The point was to make [the results] public and get it out to the community,â€� said O’Hora. “This will hopefully put pressure on the board and get them to act, which they haven’t been doing.

Michelson was satisfied with the outcome of the poll.

There were so many faculty involved, not just us, and they came together and supported each other. Some of us may dissolve [from the committee], some of us may come back, and there might be new faculty to support a vote of no confidence against the board if necessary, said Michelson.But for now the task we took on is now finished.

Academic Senate Meeting (April 1, 2013) - Public Comment, Vote of No Confidence, and IEC
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Mark Rocha who attacked faculty, students and staff at Pasadena Community College. He bullied workers and worked to privatize the community college. Now the SFCC board want to pay him $330,000 to do the same in San Francisco. This corporate controlled board obviously wants further expansion of attacks on public education at CCSF by appointing Rocha.
Embattled Union Buster and Privatizer Pasadena City College President Mark Rocha to retire a after scandals. Now the SFCC board wants to pay him $330,00 a year.

"It’s time for me to spend more time with my family and return to my passion for teaching and writing,” Rocha said."

http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/social-affairs/20140807/embattled-pasadena-city-college-president-mark-rocha-to-retire

Pasadena City College President Mark Rocha
By Lauren Gold, Pasadena Star-News
POSTED: 08/07/14, 2:34 PM PDT | UPDATED: ON 08/07/20142 COMMENTS

PASADENA >> Embattled Pasadena City College President Mark Rocha announced Thursday that he will retire from his position at the college at the end of the month.

Rocha, who was appointed as president of the college in 2010, said in a statement that the decision to retire was “personal.”“I’ve started my tenth year as a community college president and that is a good long run in this kind of work. It’s time for me to spend more time with my family and return to my passion for teaching and writing,” Rocha said.

A release from the college touted Rocha’s accomplishments at PCC, including reaffirming the college’s accreditation from the state and the educational master plan that earned the college the Chancellor’s Award for Student Success in 2012. Rocha also oversaw the completion of the college’s new Center for the Arts, a Measure P bond project.

“Dr. Rocha brought the college safely through one of the worst budget cuts in California history,” PCC Board of Trustees President Anthony Fellow said in a statement. “We well understand and fully respect his decision to turn the reins over to the great administrative team he has assembled.”

Rocha recently was a finalist for a position as president of Kingsborough Community College in New York, but was not hired. He has come under fire in recent years at PCC for various incidents including the college’s decision to cancel the winter session of classes, which elicited “no confidence” votes from faculty and students.

“I don’t think he was a bad person I just think he has a very different style of leadership. I think his style of leadership was not suitable for a California community college, which relies so heavily on stakeholder input,” said student John Fraser, who helped author the “no confidence” vote as a member of the Associated Students Board. “He had a lot of ideas but he didn’t have the support on campus to implement them without harming students. ... He should have been gone once he lost support from faculty and students.”

Roger Marheine, former Faculty Association president, said he felt Rocha’s major issue was that he did not consult with faculty members on major decisions, ignoring the college’s “shared governance” model.

“It’s been a very, very traumatic four years for faculty, staff and students,” Marheine said. “We want to move forward, all of us.”

Rocha’s tenure has also seen its share of scandal, including self-proclaimed “porn professor” Hugo Schwyzer’s admission to sleeping with students on campus and allegations of sexual harassment filed against the college’s newspaper advisor Warren Swil.



This year’s commencement also saw controversy when lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender rights activist and Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black was invited and then uninvited to speak in lieu of former Pasadena Public Health Director Eric Walsh. Walsh subsequently came under fire and backed out of the engagement after Seventh-day Adventist sermons surfaced online in which he bashed gays, Muslims, Darwin’s Theory of Evolution and other groups.

Geoffrey Baum, former member of the PCC Board of Trustees, praised Rocha’s leadership under difficult circumstances.


“I think when you are trying to make bold change you are going to draw a lot of opposition from various corners, and I think that opposition was clearly very vocal, so it was a tough period in the life of the college,” said Baum, who now serves as vice president for the California Community Colleges Board of Governors.

Baum said Rocha’s replacement will need to have the skill set to handle the strong opinions and emotions that come along with PCC.

“There are a lot of people that are very passionate about what PCC should be and they do not always agree,” Baum said. “This person should have extraordinary political and leadership skills to bring together these often polarized forces in the district.”
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